It’s Time For Movie Monday!
Movie Monday: Indigenous Music of Kodiak
We are continuing our Movie Monday series with Indigenous Music of Kodiak by Serjoe Orven Gutierrez, created on Kodiak Island, on the land of the Alutiiq people.
On Kodiak, music carries memory. It holds the stories of hunting, gathering, family, and celebration, passed down through generations in song, rhythm, and movement. In this film, community members share how music brings people together, creating space to connect, to learn, and to carry forward what was once at risk of being lost.
There was a time when these songs were silenced. Language, music, and cultural practices were suppressed, and only a few elders held onto them. Today, those songs are being sung again. Young people are learning, dancing, and laughing together, bringing new life to traditions that continue to evolve.
As one voice in the film shares, “Music is just an easy way to share, and there is no judgment there. Everybody just gets to be themselves.” What emerges is a story of resilience, where music continues to unite, teach, and carry culture forward.
🎥 Watch Indigenous Music of Kodiak here or click the still below:
Discussion Questions
- How do you think music can help us remember who we are and where we come from?
- How does music help us understand the history and culture of the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) people of Kodiak?
- In what ways do geography and the natural environment shape Indigenous music, traditions, and the use of instruments?
- Why is it important to preserve and pass down cultural traditions like songs, drumming, and dance to future generations?
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